Burnum takes over at Pierce

This will be Scott Burnum's first year coaching varsity football, but don't hesitate, he's hardly green.

He's been the varsity head basketball coach at Pierce High for the past 14 seasons and he spent another 13 coaching junior varsity football.

He's one of the more respected coaches in Colusa County — his fierce teams make sure of it.

It stems from his coaching style.

"My teams are pretty aggressive," Burnum said. "We'll get in your face."

That's his man-to-man defense on the hardwood. Now he's transitioning that to the gridiron.

"Yeah, we're coming at you. We want an aggressive style of play defensively and on the ground," he said. "We have to force them. They're not going to force us."

Regardless of what it was, Burnum wants a hard-hitting, tactful machine. He wants teams to fear the name and date when they have to face off with the Bears.

"When we walk out on to the football field, teams are going to say, 'We better buckle up our helmets because here comes Pierce,'" Burnum said.

His philosophy matches his assistant coaches Donald Wayman and Donald Friel. The three of them combined have nearly 50 years of coaching experience.

"We work really together and we're all on the same page. That's important," he said.